Introduction of Kajoli English Model and Teachers’ Training

Print

Duration: 12-14th October, 2012

Total Participants: 148

Venues:

i) Benghari Union Parishad Hall Room, Panchagarh

ii) Panchapukur Union Parishad Hall Room, Nilphamari

iii) Kishorgonj Upazila Parishad Auditorium, Nilphamari

1. RIB Chairman, Dr. Shamsul Bari, inaugurated and conducted the first three training sessions aimed at acquainting teachers from over 149 Kajoli centers in the North Bengal area with the newly developed Kajoli English Language Model. It may be recalled that over the last ten years Kajoli centres throughout the country helped children to read and write through Kajoli Bengali Model only.

2. The first session took place at Benghari Union Parishad Hall Room, Panchagarh, on 12th October 2012. Subsequently two other training sessions took place the next two days at other areas in the north as mentioned above. RIB’s Education Coordinator, Saifuzzaman Rana, and Kajoli model trainer, Dipali Sarkar, helped in facilitating these sessions. The latter also facilitated Teachers’ Refresher Training as described below.

3. After inauguration of the program at each session, Dr. Bari spoke about the objectives of the new model and how it was developed over the last two years at the Kajoli Training Centre in Kajoli village, Sreepur Thana, Magura District. He explained that the method used followed the approach used in the Bengali Model. The approach was clearly described in the teachers’ manual developed for this purpose and shared with the teachers. He encouraged the teachers to make use of the manual and if they found while using it that some adjustments in the approach would be useful, they should bring it to the attention of RIB. He also urged the teachers to arrange for the making of pocket boards with bamboo which was more easily available in the region, which would make it easier to use the English pocket cards which were different in size from the Bengali pocket cards.

4. It may be mentioned that in July, 2012 some teachers from the North were given training to use the still-developing English model at the Kajoli Training centre in Magura. Dr. Bari invited these teachers to share their experience with others. They then related their experience and told the participants how quickly the children took to learning and internalizing the English language. They mentioned that the children appeared to be keener to learn English because they found it easier and more fun than Bengali. They further said that the parents of the children at their centres and the local residents were very excited about the introduction of English and how quickly the children were learning the language. Education Coordinator, Saifuzzaman Rana, and Kajoli trainer, Dipali Sarker, then took turn to explain the manual to the teachers so that they could understand every step in the learning process. A similar approach was used in all the sessions.

5. Kajoli Teachers’ Refresher Training was conducted by Saifuzzaman Rana and Dipali Sarker at each session after conclusion of the training sessions in English. In these sessions teachers raised different questions regarding the learning method of Kajoli model and social participation approaches in implementing the model. These two trainers answered their questions through discussion and sharing of experiences.  Teachers shared their positive and negative experiences so that others could learn from them and be motivated to use some of the lessons-learned in the running of the centers with local support.

6. In between the sessions, RIB’s Assistant Programme Officer, Ms. Kamrun Nahar Mitu, also briefed the participants on the progress of infrastructure building project and developments relating to Mothers’ Associations at different Kajoli centers. Till now 12 centres, 7 tube wells, and 7 toilets has made with the support of Kwintet Company. Beside these 3 mothers’s association got financial support for strengthening their work. They have taken some initiatives such as swing training; nursery and tree plantation, rearing domestic animals etc. This is to mention that, Kwintet- A Swedish Garments Company is providing fund for the infrastructural development of the Kajoli Centers, which would be helpful for the sustainability of the centers.